How do age and other illnesses affect survival of patients with colorectal cancer?

This study investigated how age and other illnesses affected the survival of patients with cancer of the colon or rectum. It was found that survival decreases with age and the presence of other illnesses. 

Roughly 70% of colorectal cancer patients are above the age of 65. 21% are aged over 80. However, few studies examine elderly colorectal cancer patients. Most of the time, studies on this age group are limited to patients without other diseases. Studies have shown that age and the presence of other diseases both negatively impact survival and treatment outcomes. However, further studies are required in this area. 

The aim of this study was to determine whether age and other diseases affected the survival of colorectal cancer patients. The records of 392 patients with colon cancer and 143 patients with rectal cancer were reviewed for age at diagnosis, other diseases present before the cancer diagnosis, and the outcome of the patient. Patient follow-up information was available for between 5 and 13 years after diagnosis. 

The average age of colon cancer patients at diagnosis was 71.6 years. Average survival time was 5.13 years. 34.3% of patients died due to cancer progression. Both age and the number and severity of other diseases predicted overall survival.

The average age at diagnosis of rectal cancer patients was 68.0 years. Average survival was 4.67 years. 35.7% of patients died due to cancer progression. Age and presence of other diseases were not found to predict death due to cancer. 

The authors found that age and the presence of other diseases predicted survival in colon cancer patients. This relationship was not found in rectal cancer patients. 

The authors note that the finding that age and comorbidity do not predict survival in rectal cancer patients was unexpected. It is suggested that this finding could be due to the limited size of the study. It is suggested that further studies are carried out. 

This study does not mention whether specific diseases were more predictive of survival than others.

Consult your doctor if you would like to discuss how your age or other conditions you have may affect your survival.